1, 2, 3 Roasted Garlic!

I am a garlic lover. Definitely. My comfort food is Pasta alio e olio and one of our favorite snacks is garlic bread. Sometimes, I find myself craving for a mild garlic flavor. Then, nothing can be better than roasted garlic.

Double Luscious Strawberries with Chocolate

The reason I call this strawberries double luscious is because they are. What can be more luscious than strawberries and chocolate? The answer is strawberries, chocolate and rum!

The Black Swan

The Oscars are in the air and the “team spirit” at Crush Wine & Spirits in New York, are showing their appreciation for the dramatic arts, by creating cocktails inspired by the 2011 Academy Awards nominees for best pictures, including The Black Swan, of course.

All the Flavor of México in a Cup of Hot Chocolate

Last Christmas my friend Orquídea from Tijuana, sent me three very delicate tins containing three different varieties of deluxe Mexican chocolate. They were a special edition, launched to celebrate the bicentennial of México, or more exactly the 200th anniversary of the beginning of its War of Independence from Spain.

In 1810, a Mexican priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, uttered a call to arms against the Spanish, later known as the Grito de Dolores ("Cry of Dolores.") Soon after, a series of battles against the Spanish began. The war lasted over a decade and eventually resulted in the independence of Mexico from the Spanish crown.

Meyer Lemon Aged Rum Sour

Reading the last issue of Imbibe, "Winter Wonder", and article by Kelly Magyarics, I assumed it was on winter cocktails, captured my attention.

Hearty Giant Lima Bean Soup with Bacon

This is a hearty, comforting soup, the kind of soup, like the Italian minestrone, you make with whatever vegetables you have in your kitchen. Mostly, it combines beans, in this case giant lima beans; stir fried garlic, onions and celery, plus carrots and seasoned with parsley, bay leaves and black pepper.

Simply Yummy Fudgy Brownies

Last week was a very hectic one. Besides my children and work, we attended a wedding and finally embraced an extreme make over in our family room, including painting the ceiling and walls and redoing the fireplace mantle. I devoted every free moment to this project that I had been neglecting for a good while. We are almost done and everything seems to flow nicely…

Corazón

Never before a cocktail had such a perfect name. Created in London by mixologist Rikki Duncan-Brodrick, Corazón (Heart) has everything a cocktail needs to succeed: a superb liquor, the sweetness of real maple syrup, the citrus of freshly squeezed lime juice and the crispy flavor of fresh raspberry.

Liquid Gold

Since I moved to Southern California, thank to the generosity of friends coming from Venezuela, I have managed to always have a tiny reserve of Rhum Orange Liqueur on my cabinet. But of course, a bottle of something that we call “liquid gold” is almost nothing, if you want to mix and experiment and create something cool and exiting.

We called it liquid gold, not only because of its deep amber color and orange glitter, but also because it is highly appreciated in our home: an ingredient for countless cocktails and desserts, we cannot find it anywhere in our area, so we treasure Rhum Orange like gold!

Cubalibre, Rum and Coke or Mentirita

No matter how you call it, this is a winner drink. Cubalibre is, by far, the most popular drink made out of rum. Even more than my favorite mojitos. The reason: it’s a simple, easy to make, refreshing drink and it tastes so good. So, I thought it would be a good thing to have this Super Bowl Sunday.

Guacamole (and Happy Super Bowl)

Before you start reading this, I have a confession. We don’t follow the Super Bowl. I know this is the most massively watched sport event in America: 90 million viewers are expected tomorrow. But there is no way I can sit in front of the TV to watch the game. This year, it seems Andrés Ignacio (9) will watch it.

Gelato Paradiso, A Truly Gelato Heaven

I’m a gelato lover. I remember the first time I went to Venice, it was winter, cold and raining and I couldn’t avoid stopping at every single gelateria, get two, three gelato scoops on a waffle cone, and then go back to those narrow alleys and enjoy my gelatos under my umbrella only to stop by the next shop.

Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon

Obviously, I am not a meat person, but when it is about filet mignon, I am first in line. I like its tenderness. If you get a really prime filet mignon it can literally be cut with a fork and will almost melt in your mouth. No doubt this is why it is called the king of steaks.